Ángel Ayora has always been a big fan of Robert Lewandowski. He is his insurance policy. The go-to for both big and small occasions. He has always felt comfortable with him on the field. Blind trust. Of course, Lewandowski, even Lewandowski, has had his bad days, naturally, but he has never lost faith in him. The joys have been far more numerous than the disappointments.
However, this winter, taking advantage of the pre-season, Ayora has decided to give more minutes to Ferrán Torres. You never know, the more resources, the better. When those dark days come when Plan A doesn’t work, it’s essential to have a Plan B to rely on. Ferrán started with doubts. Obviously, he had been lacking continuity for a long time. Last year, in fact, it played a trick on him. He particularly remembers a big one in Korea…
But Ángel is not vindictive. He is a good psychologist and knows that everything is based on trust. And trust only comes with minutes. That’s why, during the Christmas holidays, he has been all in with Ferrán Torres. Whole days of work, giving him support, showing him that he is fully committed to him as well. You know how it is. When you focus on one, the other gets sulky.
But of course, the Dubai Invitational has arrived, the Champions, and Ayora, along with Juan Ochoa, his coach, had to make the decision to bet on one of the two. Let’s see who would get the starting position. They mulled it over, but in the end, you know, the cautious instinct kicks in. Let’s play it safe. We bet on Robert. And there he went at the Dubai Creek Golf Club, giving the reins to the Pole.
The thing is, Lewandowski, for whatever reason, wasn’t on form today. Who knows if he was upset by what he had seen in pre-season, aware that his position might be under threat, or simply because he had a bad day, but the truth is he seemed a bit clumsy, uncoordinated, out of place. He did some good things, but overall he just kept giving the ball to the opponent.
Given the situation, on the 16th hole, the seventh of his round because he started on the 10th, after yet another mistake by Robert, Ayora didn’t hesitate: he took out the board and called for a change. Lewandowski to the thinking corner. Ferrán, onto the field. Night and day.
Torres has more than repaid the trust given to him during those winter sessions from dawn to dusk. It was a joy. Everything was working. On the 1st tee, for example, he crafted a masterpiece only matched by the most expensive players.
Ángel has achieved more than just saving the day thanks to the support he once gave to Plan B. Resources, resources, and more resources. He has brought him back into the fold. He also knows, of course, that he can’t lose the other one. That’s why, after signing a card of 68 strokes in his first round, fourth place on the leaderboard, he spent a good while working with Lewandowski. He knows he will need him and can’t afford to let him fade away. Surely this very week he will have to rely on both, and they need to be ready. Great management by the golfer from Manilva.
Two clarifications to understand this madness:
– Lewandowski is the fade shot and Ferrán Torres is the draw shot.
– Ayora is a die-hard Barça fan.
